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After Service: Health Challenges

Keesha Maybank 2025 July, Lifestyle and Wellness June 18, 2025

Many people have a family member, relative, or friend who is a veteran.

Some people don’t know a veteran at all. Regardless of whether you know one or not, have you ever stopped to consider how crucial it is to support the health of those who have fought for our country?

The impact military service has on mental and physical health is significant. The unique risks, stressors, and environments veterans experience while on duty put them at a higher risk of suffering from physical and mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain, and substance abuse.

Physical Health

Chronic pain — a common health issue experienced by veterans — is pain that lasts longer than 3 months and is usually due to an injury, disease, or infection but sometimes has no known cause. A 2018 report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that 50 million U.S. adults suffer from chronic pain.

More commonly found in veterans than in the general population, chronic pain causes decreased work productivity, disability, and higher healthcare costs. Chronic pain can contribute to mental health struggles like depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder, among others. According to the National Library of Medicine, an estimated 50% of U.S. veterans experience chronic pain, making it one of the most common health complaints among this population.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) to help veterans with chronic pain. The National Library of Medicine explains that CBT-CP is about changing one’s response to and relationship with pain so it has a less harmful impact on functioning and quality of life. Click here to learn more about CBT-CP and to hear from a veteran who used CBT-CP to combat chronic pain.

Mental Health

Experiencing stress after a traumatic event is human nature, but PTSD is much more severe than stress. People who suffer from PTSD relive traumatic events in their minds in the form of flashbacks and nightmares. PTSD also brings along relationship issues, emotional numbness, sleep problems, anger, substance abuse, and reckless behavior.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about 8 of every 100 women and 4 of every 100 men will have PTSD at some point in their life. Women have a higher chance of developing PTSD because they are more likely to experience traumatic events — like sexual assault — than men.

VA offers three forms of trauma-based therapy that are used to treat PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). According to the National Center for PTSD, 53 of 100 patients who receive one of these treatments will no longer have PTSD.

According to Mission Roll Call, only 45% of the 18 million veterans in the country use the VA.

Healthcare for Our Heroes

Veterans in the United States have access to healthcare through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA is one of the United States’ largest integrated healthcare systems — consisting of 172 medical centers and 1,138 sites of care — and provides help to more than 8.3 million veterans each year. These medical centers offer services you would see in a traditional hospital, like surgery, mental health care, pharmacy services, and physical therapy, among others.

Veterans can also apply for a healthcare plan through the VA, which covers healthcare needs from checkups with a primary care provider to appointments with specialists like mental health providers and cardiologists. Like a traditional benefits plan provided by an employer, VA healthcare offers coverage for a wide variety of services like vision, dental, long-term care, and more. For more information on eligibility and benefits, visit the VA website at va.gov/health-care/.

Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 and Press 1

Available 24/7, 365, the Veterans Crisis Line assists veterans in crisis — feeling hopeless, suffering from anxiety, depression, participating in risky behavior, etc. — and helps connect them to medical services or other resources they need.

According to VA News, as of July 2024, more than 8 million calls, 975,000 chats, and 399,000 texts have been received through the Veterans Crisis line since its launch in 2007. Simply dial 988 and press 1 to be connected to a trained responder during a crisis. Call the number, save a life. Learn more about the Veterans Crisis Line at veteranscrisisline.net.

Protecting Those Who Protected Us

Serving in the military is a selfless, heroic, and brave act, but when soldiers return from service, many suffer from some intense mental and physical conditions. According to the National Library of Medicine, a survey conducted in 2016 on 9,000 newly separated veterans found that 53% reported chronic physical conditions and 33% reported chronic mental health conditions.

It is important to be educated on what veterans experience after service to be able to help them the best we can. Informing others about common conditions and spreading the word about useful resources can better a veteran’s quality of life.

According to 2021 VA data, there were about 17 veteran suicides per day, or 6,392 a year;  veterans commit suicide at a 57% higher rate than non-veteran adults.

Urgent Care vs. Standalone ERs

Keesha Maybank 2025 July, Benefit Spotlight June 18, 2025

Have you ever found yourself in a situation of not knowing if you should go to an urgent care or an emergency room?

While they seem similar, the two differ in several ways. Knowing where to go can help you save time and money.

Standalone ERs should be utilized by those experiencing life-threatening conditions. If you require immediate medical attention, the ER is your best bet. Urgent Cares, on the other hand, are the middle ground between your primary care physician (PCP) and the emergency room, according to Mayo Clinic. If the injury or illness is not life-threatening but it can’t wait until you can see your PCP, head to an Urgent Care. The following list goes into detail on some factors to consider before choosing where to go.

Standalone ER

Severity: Life-threatening conditions such as chest pain, severe abdominal pain, head injuries, and uncontrolled bleeding

Hours: 24/7

Cost: More expensive due to a higher level of care and resources available

Staffing: Board-certified emergency physicians and nurses trained in emergency care

Urgent Care

Severity: Mild conditions like sprains, minor cuts, urinary tract infections, and earaches

Hours: Typically operate during normal business hours with some weekend and evening hours; not 24/7

Cost: Less expensive than ERs; shorter wait times

Staffing: Mainly physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners, and sometimes physicians

The next time you find yourself in a situation trying to decide where to go, reference this list so you can make the best decision based on your needs.

What Is Balance Billing?

Keesha Maybank 2023 November, Benefit Spotlight October 30, 2023

Balance billing is not a well-known term, but if you may have experienced it, especially if you’ve had a medical emergency and received emergency services.

Simply put, balance billing is when a medical provider sends you a bill for the remainder of an invoice that your insurance provider did not cover. This happens commonly with out-of-network providers – medical providers who are not under any contracts with your insurance provider and who will cost more to see.

For example, say you have an emergency appendectomy. Depending on the situation, you probably don’t have time to research a provider or find out whether everyone involved in your appendectomy is in-network – you’re concerned with getting to the emergency room as fast as you can. If the anesthesiologist, the hospital, or someone else involved with the procedure is out of network, you may receive an unexpected bill in the mail after the procedure.

The good news is that as of 2022, you have some protection against these kinds of bills if you receive emergency care, non-emergency care from out-of-network providers in an in-network facility (e.g., if your theoretical anesthesiologist was out of network even though the hospital itself is in network), or air ambulance services from an out-of-network provider. Click HERE to learn more about what rights you have under the No Surprises Act and HERE to ask questions or get help regarding surprise medical bills.

What is a “surprise medical bill” and what should I know about the No Surprises Act? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov)
Balance billing – Glossary | HealthCare.gov

Dementia and Women

Keesha Maybank 2023 November, Lifestyle and Wellness October 30, 2023

Dementia, which affects more than 55 million people worldwide, is far more than just forgetting things.

Causing memory loss, a change in behavior, or even losing the ability to stay alert during conversation, among other things, dementia symptoms become more noticeable with time.

Dementia doesn’t discriminate who it affects, but women are more prone to being diagnosed. According to the Alzheimer’s Research Initiative, a woman’s estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s at age 45 is approximately 1 in 5 compared to 1 in 10 for me. There are a few thoughts on why that is:

  1. Women have been known to live longer than men, and since dementia more frequently attacks those of an older age, women are more likely to be affected by dementia.
  2. Women, who make up two-thirds of those with dementia, are also considered to be more at risk to for the diagnosis due to lifestyle factors, genetic factors, and the lack of research for women.
  3. The hormone estrogen is believed to protect women from poor brain health and the effects of memory loss, like Alzheimer’s. As a woman ages, however, their levels of estrogen decrease, so the protection that estrogen provides also decreases, making women more vulnerable to dementia.
  4. While the ApoE4 gene can be found among all genders, two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s have the ApoE4 gene. Research is still being done to learn more about this relationship.

Women can lower their chances of being diagnosed by implementing new habits into their everyday lives that encourage a healthier and more active lifestyle. First, squeezing a 30-minute walk into your daily routine, moving your body, and just being active can help stimulate the brain and improve mental health. Secondly, maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and maintaining a low blood pressure not only prevent obesity, heart disease, and strokes, it can also be tied to decreasing the risk of dementia. Studies have shown that the “Mediterranean Diet” has also been linked to reducing the chance of dementia. Lastly, simply by being social and having conversations every day can slow the progression of dementia.

What’s coming down the pipeline for dementia research? Some recently approved medications have been found to remove a plaque from the brain that reduces cognitive and functional decline, slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s. While there is no cure, there are different medications, memory care senior living centers that prioritize the care of elders with dementia, and clinical trials that help researchers learn more about this condition.

Clouds Ahead

Keesha Maybank 2023 November, Lifestyle and Wellness October 30, 2023

If you’ve ever gone to an optometrist, they’ve probably asked you whether your vision is blurry or clouded, or if you ever see double or have eye pain.

These questions help rule out the possibility of cataracts, which occur when proteins break down and cloud up the natural lenses in our eyes. Because cataracts interfere with light passing through our eyes correctly, they can cause multiple vision problems:

  • Cloudy vision
  • Seeing double
  • Sensitivity to light, especially at night
  • A brown or yellow tint to your vision
  • Problems driving at night and more

The most common cause of cataracts is age. Other factors can increase your chances of getting them, such as drinking alcohol and smoking excessively, eye injury, diabetes, and other genetic factors. Another key contributor is UV damage from the sun. This can occur if you’re outside a lot without glasses that block UV rays. Protecting your eyes by wearing sunglasses or regular glasses with UV-blocking tints is one of the best ways to prevent cataracts.

While cataracts are problematic, they can be treated. If your symptoms aren’t too bad or interfering dangerously with your daily life, a stronger contacts or eyeglasses prescription may help. If cataracts are hindering your sight badly, they can be removed surgically in a quick and safe procedure.

Cataracts – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
What Are Cataracts? – American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org)

Stronger Every Day

Keesha Maybank 2023 November, Lifestyle and Wellness October 30, 2023

Strength training has become a fundamental part of most exercise programs.

In strength training, you use your body weight or equipment (i.e., dumbbells and resistance bands) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance. Strengthening your muscles helps you perform everyday activities and protect your body from injury. Stronger muscles also lead to a boost in your metabolic rate, which means you’ll burn more calories even when your body is at rest. Strength training can also increase your bone density, which can help protect your bones from osteoporosis.

The main types of strength training include:

  • Muscular hypertrophy: This type of strength training uses moderate-to-heavy weights to stimulate muscle growth.
  • Muscular endurance: This refers to your muscles’ ability to sustain exercise for a period. Training to increase muscular endurance usually involves a high number of repetitions using light weights or body weight.
  • Circuit training: This form of full-body conditioning involves cycling through various exercises with little to no rest between them.
  • Maximum muscular strength: This type of exercise involves low reps (usually 2–6) and heavy weights to improve your overall strength. It’s best reserved for experienced exercisers who have mastered their form.
  • Explosive Power: This training combines power and speed to improve your power output. It’s usually employed among trained athletes to improve their explosive movements.

Starting strength training may feel daunting, but perfecting your form first will ensure you can safely and effectively perform your movements and avoid injury. Once you have mastered the basics, you can add free weights, resistance bands, and machines into your routine. If you need help getting started, hiring a personal trainer can help you reach your goals. If your benefits provider offers a Lifestyle Savings Account, it is likely you can use those funds toward a gym membership and a trainer.

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-strength-training#what-it-is
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/strength-training-time-benefits/
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/strength-and-resistance-training-exercise
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/interactive/2023/strength-training-gym-workout/

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